Why Branding Matters for Civil Society Organisations(CSOs)

The last couple of years, my colleagues and I at WACSI have initiated passionate discussions

about branding and its value added to strengthening the institute’s relevance, identity, cohesion

and capacity. We have shared a lot of ideas about this intriguing subject hitherto a lot of us

associated it with only for-profit businesses.

From our discussions, it is apparent that many of the successful CSOs we are associated with

continue to use their brands primarily as a fundraising tool. However, we also recognise that it is

important for CSOs to develop a broader and more strategic approach, managing their brands to

create greater social impact and resilient organisational cohesion.

We have become truly passionate about branding because we strongly believe that CSOs

especially community based organisations (CBOs) can benefit from having strong brands which

can help them to tell their stories so that development partners support their organisations in a

sustainable manner. An investment in branding can also stimulate a sense of trust from the

general public and the civil society sector and that is beneficial to all of us.

In contemporary African societies, brands have played an important role. There has been a

proliferation of choices and brands, which acts as a short cut to access those choices. For

example, when you purchase a product and you like it and go back and buy it again, the brand is

the way for you to know that you are getting the same quality and experience you would expect

from that product. The same example should be applied to your CSO where the idea is to create

a short cut for development partners to support your organisation’s vision, programmes and

interventions.

The basic premise for creating a strong CSO brand is your ability to express your message so

that development partners can understand what you do and why you do it effectively. Therefore

within the civil society sector branding may be defined as the capacity of an organisation to

educate and create emotional value that attracts loyal supporters and advocates to their cause.

Branding may also be described as telling your story to your audience and showing why the

work your organisation does matters.

So, what are the benefits of having a strong brand?

Strong brands articulate your message so people understand your mission: This is extremely

important because most CSOs emphasise their mission and not specifically their impact they

have achieved which is what donors want to see, the ultimate results of the problem that you are

solving.

Strong brands raise the level of professionalism and ensure consistency: This means that your

organisation’s newsletters, annual reports, brochures, programmes and how you use social

media should reflect a consistency in the values and brand personality you are expressing. This

helps to establish rapport with donors, your peers and beneficiaries and makes a connection that

is immediate and impactful. However, if you put out messages that are inconsistent it makes

your organisation look unprofessional and unorganised. This is something you would want to

avoid.

Strong brands distinguish your brand from other organisations: For example, in Ghana there

are over 65001 registered CSOs, therefore, it is important to distinguish your organisation so

that people know your uniqueness. This should be reflected in your service, the population you

serve, the impact you achieve, and the way you go about delivering your service and your

philosophy. Any of these measures can be differentiators that can help people understand what

you are doing differently, why you exist and why they need to support you.

Strong brands position your organisation as a leader in its field: It is important that your

organisation is at the forefront of the specific work you do. As funding is being refined, the

organisations that are going to be supported are the ones that have a leadership position in their

sector. A strong brand can help you project the quality of your leadership.

Strong brands foster repeat business and referrals: A strong brand would enable your

organisation to be highly recommended for partnerships and would also ensure that existing

partnerships are sustained.

Strong brands save money by streamlining activities and processes: Organisations with strong

brands have developed and invested in systems and processes that enable them to produce tools

and materials in a cost effective manner. They are cost-conscious and continuously seek to be

prudent without sacrificing quality.

Strong brands utilise technology effectively: Through your website, email and social media, an

organisation should communicate to their development partners, establish a rapport and appeal

to the specific target audiences that are relevant for their work. Organisations should also

explore using technology that improves the efficiency and effectiveness of their operational and

programme delivery.

Strong brands provide a strong foundation for growth: A CSO with a strong brand is poised for

growth. Having a strong message, visual identity, and tools to communicate compellingly allows

you to have brand advocates that support you in telling your story and facilitates your ability to

be innovative and future oriented.

Every CSO is a sales outlet and its products and/or services are a reflection of the organisation’s

brand identity. Therefore, CSO branding is being conscious of the continual nature of

deliberately selling the organisation.

*The Author, Charles Kojo Vandyck is WACSI’s Head of Capacity

Development

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Source: NGO Desk, Social Welfare Department, 2015